Three-dimensional transistor and methods of manufacturing thereof

ABSTRACT

Three-dimensional (3D) transistors and methods of manufacturing thereof include a first semiconductor fin extending over a substrate. The first semiconductor fin has a vertical recess extending from a first sidewall of the first semiconductor fin toward a second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin opposite the first sidewall. A distance between two opposing sidewalls of the vertical recess decreases as the vertical recess extends toward the second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin. The device further includes a vertically recessed channel region between the second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin and a bottom of the vertical recess, source/drain (S/D) regions at opposite ends of the vertically recessed channel region, and a gate stack over the vertically recessed channel region.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to the field of three-dimensional (3D) transistors.

From the invention of the integrated circuit, it has been a goal to make the devices on the integrated circuit smaller and smaller. This provides greater functionality on each integrated circuit. However, with device dimensions reaching the scale of tens of nanometers and operational voltages dropping to tenths of a volt, traditional MOSFETs have reached some physical limits. Thus, other transistor types are being explored.

Traditional transistors are of planar type. Fin Field Effect Transistors (FinFET) are non-planar devices. However, as the device dimension continues to shrink, new structures for 3D transistors and methods for manufacturing the new devices are needed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a structure having a semiconductor fin extending from a substrate, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate some examples of forming semiconductor devices using a (001) wafer and a (110) wafer, respectively.

FIGS. 3a-11b illustrate different views (e.g., perspective view, top view, and cross-sectional view) of an inversion mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel region at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 12a illustrates an inversion mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel region used in Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations.

FIG. 12b illustrates TCAD simulation results for the 3D transistor shown in FIG. 12 a.

FIGS. 13a-14b illustrate different views (e.g., perspective view, top view and cross-sectional view) of a junctionless mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel region at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 15a illustrates a junctionless mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel region used in TCAD simulations.

FIG. 15b illustrates TCAD simulation results for the 3D transistor shown in FIG. 15 a.

FIGS. 16a-20b illustrate another junctionless mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel region at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 21a-21d illustrate top views of a 3D transistor with multiple fins at various stages of fabrication process, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 22a-23b illustrate a single fin 3D transistor and a multi-fin 3D transistor, respectively, with epitaxial source/drain regions at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 24 illustrates a top view of a mesa with two vertical recesses formed substantially symmetrically with a shared channel region between the vertical recesses, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 25 illustrates a flow chart of a method for forming a 3D transistor with a vertically recessed channel, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the invention. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

3-D transistors and methods of fabricating 3-D transistors are disclosed in the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a 3D transistor is fabricated from a semiconductor fin extending upward from a substrate. A vertically recessed channel region is formed by etching from a sidewall of the fin. A gate stack is formed over the vertically recessed channel region. The disclosed 3D transistor can be fabricated on different types of substrate such as bulk substrate, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate or germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) substrate. In some embodiments, the source/drain (S/D) regions of the 3D transistor are formed before the vertically recessed channel is defined.

FIG. 1a illustrates a perspective view of a structure 100 with a semiconductor fin 130 extending upward from a substrate 110, in some embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 1a , isolation region 120 is disposed over the substrate 110 and surrounds semiconductor fin 130. FIG. 1b illustrates a cross-sectional view of structure 100 along line B-B in FIG. 1a . Although only one fin 130 is illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b , skilled artisan will appreciate that two or more fins 130 could be formed on substrate 110.

Substrate 110 may comprise a bulk substrate comprising, e.g., bulk silicon. The substrate 110 may comprise various doped regions depending on design requirements (e.g., p-type substrate or n-type substrate). In some embodiments, the doped regions may be doped with p-type or n-type dopants. For example, the doped regions may be doped with p-type dopants, such as boron or BF₂; n-type dopants, such as phosphorus or arsenic; and/or combinations thereof. The doped regions may be configured for an n-type transistor, or alternatively configured for a p-type transistor.

In some alternative embodiments, the substrate 110 may be made of some other suitable elemental semiconductor, such as diamond or germanium; a suitable compound semiconductor, such as gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, indium arsenide, or indium phosphide; or a suitable alloy semiconductor, such as silicon germanium carbide, gallium arsenic phosphide, or gallium indium phosphide. Further, the substrate 110 may include an epitaxial layer (epi-layer), may be strained for performance enhancement, and/or may include a SOI substrate or a GeOI substrate.

Semiconductor fin 130 may be formed by etching away a top portion of substrate 110 by, e.g., a photolithography and etching process. In some embodiments, fin 130 comprises a same material as substrate 110 or a top portion of substrate 110. In other embodiments, fin 130 may comprise a different material from substrate 110.

Isolation region 120 comprises dielectric material such as silicon oxide, although other dielectric materials, such as silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, fluoride-doped silicate glass (FSG), or a low-K dielectric material, may also be used. In an embodiment, isolation region 120 may be formed using a high-density-plasma (HDP) CVD process, using silane (SiH4) and oxygen (O2) as reacting precursors. In other embodiment, isolation region 120 may be formed using a sub-atmospheric CVD (SACVD) process or high aspect-ratio process (HARP), wherein process gases may comprise tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and ozone (O3). In yet other embodiment, isolation region 120 may be formed using a spin-on-dielectric (SOD) process.

In some embodiments, (001) wafers may be used to form fin 130 with (100) or (110) sidewalls, and (110) wafers may be used to form fin 130 with (100), (110) or (111) sidewalls, which sidewalls are etched to form vertically recessed channel region 150 as described hereafter (see FIGS. 5a-6b ). FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate some examples of forming semiconductor devices such as FinFET devices using a (001) wafer and a (110) wafer, respectively. In FIGS. 2a and 2b , the rays emanating from the center of the wafer illustrate different crystal plane directions with Miller indices shown next to the arrows of the rays. For example, in FIG. 2a , the ray pointing straight to the right side shows a crystal plane direction of [110], along which direction a semiconductor device such as a FinFET with direction (110)/[ 1 10] can be fabricated, where the notation (110)/[ 1 10] represents a current direction of (110) and a sidewall direction of [ 1 10], with the current direction being defined as a direction from the source region to the drain region along the channel region (e.g., a direction between line I-I in FIG. 7b ).

FIGS. 3a-11b illustrate different views (e.g., perspective view, top view, and cross-sectional view) of an inversion mode 3D transistor 100 at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments. The inversion mode here refers to the fact that an “inversion layer” or “channel” is formed between the source and drain region by a voltage applied between the gate electrode and the body of the transistor. For simplification, only the portion of fin 130 that extend above isolation region 120 is shown in subsequent figures in this disclosure. Other portions of structure 100, such as substrate 110 and isolation region 120 (see FIGS. 1a and 1b ), may not be shown in subsequent figures, with the understanding that, although not shown, they are still part of structure 100.

FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate a perspective view and a top view of a semiconductor fin 130, respectively. Fin 130 comprises a lightly doped substrate such as an SOI substrate, a GeOI substrate, or a bulk substrate comprising, e.g., bulk silicon. The semiconductor fin 130 may comprise Ge, Si, a group III-V element, combinations thereof, or other suitable semiconductor materials, as examples. In some embodiments, the lightly doped substrate is doped with a p-type dopant, such as boron or BF₂, with a concentration from about 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, such as 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³, although other p-type dopants with different concentrations might also be used. In other embodiments, the lightly doped substrate is doped with an n-type dopant, such as phosphorus or arsenic, with a concentration from about 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, such as 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³, although other n-type dopants with different concentrations might also be used. A substrate with p-type impurities may be used for fabricating an n-type transistor (e.g., nFET), and a substrate with n-type impurities may be used for fabricating a p-type transistor (e.g., pFET), as examples.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 4a and a corresponding top view FIG. 4b , a photo resist (PR) or hard mask layer 141 is formed over fin 130, covering the top surface as well as three sidewalls of fin 130 and partially covering a fourth sidewall 143, where sidewall 143 has a desired crystal plane direction (e.g., (100), (110) or (111) direction) for forming a vertically recessed channel in subsequent processing. As illustrated in FIG. 4b , the PR or hard mask layer 141 covers two edge portions of sidewall 143 and form an opening 140 exposing a middle portion of sidewall 143.

The PR or hard mask layer 141 may be formed by any suitable deposition methods such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or spin coating and patterned by, e.g., lithography and etching process. The PR or hard mask layer 141 may comprise a material (e.g., silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride) with a different etch selectivity from the material of fin 130, so that in a subsequent etch process, the etchant removes a portion of fin 130 without substantially attacking the PR or hard mask layer 141.

Referring to FIGS. 5a and 5b . An etch process is performed to remove a portion of fin 130 and form a vertical recess 160 in fin 130. In accordance with some embodiments, the etch process is a wet etch process. The etchant used in the wet etch process is potassium hydroxide (KOH) for fin 130 comprising Si, or H₂O₂ for fin 130 comprising Ge, as examples. The etchant etches crystalline materials at different rates along different crystal plane directions. For example, the etch rate of KOH for Si at (100) direction could be over 100 times more than the etch rate of Si at (111) direction. The differences in etch selectivity along different crystal planes could be utilized to achieve anisotropic etching, and recesses with high anisotropy could be formed by the wet etch process. In some embodiments, a vertical recess 160 with a trapezoidal cross-section, as shown in FIG. 5b , could be formed by etching from a sidewall with a properly chosen crystal plane direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 5b , vertical recess 160 starts from the exposed middle portion of sidewall 143 and extends into fin 130. In some embodiments, vertical recess 160 comprises two sidewalls 160 a/160 b and a bottom surface 160 c, with the sidewalls 160 a/160 b and bottom surface 160 c forming a substantially trapezoidal, V-shaped, or U-shaped recess. Vertical recess 160 tapers off as it extends into fin 130, with a width L₁ at sidewall 143 and a width L_(ch) at the bottom surface 160 c (see FIG. 6b ), where L₁>L_(ch). A vertically recessed channel region 150 of fin 130 is formed between the recess bottom surface 160 c and sidewall 165 of fin 130 (see FIG. 6b ), where sidewall 165 is opposite to sidewall 143. The thickness of the vertically recessed channel region 150 is denoted by T_(ch) in FIG. 6b . The vertically recessed channel region 150 comprises the channel region of semiconductor device 100, and the dimension L_(ch) and T_(ch) are hereafter referred to as the channel length and channel width for the vertically recessed channel 150, respectively. In accordance with some embodiments, L_(ch) has a value in a range between about 5 nm and about 50 nm, and Tch has a value in a range from about 5 nm to about 30 nm.

Although vertical recesses 160 in FIGS. 5a and 5b are shown to have symmetric and straight sidewalls 160 a/160 b and flat bottom surface 160 c, skilled artisan will appreciate that in real manufacturing process, the etch process may produce non-straight sidewalls 160 a/160 b and non-flat bottom surfaces 160 c, and recess 160 may not have a perfect trapezoidal, V-shaped or U-shaped cross-section.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 6a and 6b , the PR or hard mask layer 141 is removed from fin 130 by an appropriate process, such as etching or ashing process. As illustrated in FIG. 6b , structure 100 now comprises a narrow region 150, and two enlarged regions 181/182 on both sides of narrow region 150. Regions 181/182 define the S/D regions of the 3D transistor 100, and narrow region 150 corresponds to the vertically recessed channel region, as will be discussed in more details in subsequent processing.

Referring to FIGS. 7a-7c . A dummy gate structure 170 is formed around the vertically recessed channel region 150 of fin 130, in some embodiments. Dummy gate structure 170 will be replaced by a replacement gate in subsequent processing. FIG. 7c shows the cross-sectional view of dummy gate structure 170 along a line C-C in the top view of FIG. 7b . As illustrated in FIG. 7c , dummy gate structure 170 may comprise dummy dielectric layer 171 and dummy gate layer 173 formed over the top surface 130T and two sidewalls 165 and 160 c of the vertically recessed channel region 150. Dummy dielectric layer 171 comprises silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, multilayers thereof, as examples. The formation methods of dummy dielectric layer 171 may include atomic layer deposition (ALD), CVD, plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), a furnace deposition process, thermal oxidation, or the like. The dielectric layer 171 may be conformal to the shape of the underlying vertically recessed channel region 150 of fin 130 in some embodiments, as shown. The dummy gate layer 173 may comprise polysilicon or any acceptable sacrificial material. The dummy gate layer 173 may be deposited using CVD, ALD, PVD, the like, or a combination thereof. The dummy gate layer 173 may be conformal to the shape of the underlying dummy dielectric layer 171 in some embodiments.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 8a and 8b , n-type or p-type impurities are formed in regions 181/182 to form S/D regions 181/182 of the inversion mode 3D transistor 100 by, e.g., an ion implantation process 210. An n-type impurity or dopant can be implanted in the regions 181/182 to form S/D regions 181/182 of an n-type transistor (e.g., nFET). Example species for implanting n-type dopants include arsenic (As), phosphorus (P), antimony (Sb), germanium (Ge), nitrogen (N), carbon (C), the like, or a combination thereof. A concentration of the n-type dopant in S/D regions 181/182 may be in a range from about 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ to about 1×10²¹ cm⁻³, such as 1×10²⁰ cm⁻³. A p-type dopant can be implanted in the regions 181/182 to form S/D regions 181/182 for a p-type transistor (e.g., pFET). Example species for implanting p-type dopants include boron (B), BF₂, indium (In), germanium (Ge), nitrogen (N), carbon (C), the like, or a combination thereof. A concentration of the p-type dopant in S/D regions 181/182 may be in a range from about 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ to about 1×10²¹ cm⁻³, such as 1×10²⁰ cm⁻³. The dummy gate stack 170 shields the underlying channel region 150 so that the channel region 150 is not doped during the ion implantation process 210.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 9a and 9b , a thermal process 220 is performed to activate the dopant. In some embodiments, the dopant is activated by an in-situ annealing process 220 performed at a temperature range from about 500° C. to about 700° C. for a time period between about 30 seconds to about 180 seconds. In other embodiments, a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process 220 may be performed at a temperature range from about 500° C. to about 700° C. for a time period between about 10 seconds to about 60 seconds. In yet another embodiment, a laser annealing process may be performed with a power density of the laser in a range from about 0.1 J/cm² to about 1 J/cm² and a laser pulse frequency in a range from about 10 MHz to about 500 MHz. The laser annealing process may use, e.g., a solid-state laser source and operate at near-instantaneous timeframes (e.g., micro-seconds) at temperatures up to about, e.g., 1400° C. At these temperatures, nearly full activation with minimal diffusion could be achieved in micro-seconds timeframe.

Next, dummy gate structure 170 is replaced by a replacement gate 175, as illustrated in FIGS. 10a-10c . FIG. 10c shows a cross-sectional view along line C-C of FIG. 10b . The replacement gate 175 may be a metal gate formed in a gate last process known in the art, for example. In some embodiments, the gate-last process comprises forming an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer surrounding the dummy gate structure 170, removing the dummy gate structure 170 to form a trench in the ILD layer, then filling the trench with dielectric layer and conductive gate electrode layer.

For example, an ILD layer 178 (not shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b for clarity, but shown in FIG. 10c ) is formed surrounding the dummy gate structure 170. A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process may be performed to planarize the top surface 178 t of the ILD layer 178. The dummy gate structure comprising dummy dielectric layer 171 and dummy gate layer 173 are removed in one or more etching step(s) (not shown), so that recess is formed in the ILD layer 178 exposing the channel region 150 of fin 130. Gate dielectric 177 is deposited conformally in the recess, such as on the top surface and sidewalls of the channel region 150 of fin 130 and on sidewalls of the ILD layer 178. In accordance with some embodiments, the gate dielectric 177 comprises silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or multilayers thereof. In other embodiments, the gate dielectric 177 comprises a high-k dielectric material, and in these embodiments, the gate dielectric 177 may have a k value greater than about 7.0, and may include a metal oxide or a silicate of Hf, Al, Zr, La, Mg, Ba, Ti, Pb, and combinations thereof, as examples. The formation methods of gate dielectric 177 may include molecular-beam deposition (MBD), ALD, PECVD, and the like, as examples. The gate dielectric 177 may also comprise other materials and may be formed using other methods.

Next, the gate electrode 179 is deposited over the gate dielectric 177 and substantially fills the remaining portions of the recess. The gate electrode 179 may comprise a metal-containing material such as Ti, N, TiN, TaN, TiC, TaC, Co, Ru, Al, W, TiSiN, TaAlC, TiAlC, a combination thereof, or multi-layers thereof, and may be deposited by PVD, CVD, ALD, the like, or a combination thereof. A liner, such as a diffusion barrier layer, an adhesion layer, or the like, may be formed between gate dielectric layer 177 and gate electrode 179 (not shown). The gate electrode 179 may also comprise other materials and may be formed using other methods.

After the filling of the gate electrode 179 material, a CMP process and/or etch process may be performed to remove excess portions of the gate dielectric 177 and the gate electrode 179 from over top surfaces of the ILD layer 178 and other surfaces of the semiconductor device 100, leaving the gate dielectric 177 and gate electrode 179 remaining in regions where the dummy gate structure was removed from, over the channel regions 150 of fins 130, as shown in FIGS. 10a-10c . The resulting remaining gate electrodes 179 and gate dielectrics 177 thus form replacement gate 175 of the semiconductor device 100.

After forming the replacement gate 175, a dielectric layer such as an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer 190 is formed over the S/D regions 181/182, and S/D contacts 191/192 are formed therein, as shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b , where FIG. 11b shows a cross-sectional view along line B-B in FIG. 11a . ILD layer 190 may comprises one or more layers of dielectric material such as PSG, BSG, BPSG, USG, or the like, and may be deposited by any suitable method, such as CVD and PECVD. Openings for S/D contacts 191/192 are formed through the ILD layer 190 using, e.g., acceptable lithography and etching techniques. A liner 193, such as a diffusion barrier layer, an adhesion layer, or the like, and a conductive material 195 are formed in the openings by PVD, ALD, or other suitable methods. The liner 193 may include Ti, TiN, Ta, TaN, or the like. The conductive material 195 may be Cu, Ti, Ag, Au, W, Al, Ni, alloys thereof, or the like. The thickness of the deposited conductive material 195 is in a range from about 50 nm to about 200 nm, in accordance with some embodiments. A planarization process, such as a CMP, may be performed to remove excess material from a surface of the ILD layer 190. The remaining liner and conductive material form contacts 191/192 in the openings.

In other embodiments, conductive materials such as Ti, Ni, W, or the like are formed in the opening in ILD 190, and an anneal process is performed to form silicide or germanide. After the formation of silicide or germanide, liner layer and conductive material may be formed over the silicide or germanide to form S/D contacts 191/192, following similar processes as discussed above with reference to FIGS. 11a and 11b . In yet another embodiment, a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contact 191/192 is formed by forming a thin layer of dielectric tunneling material over S/D regions 181/182, then forming metal layers over the dielectric tunneling material. The thin dielectric tunneling material reduces Femi level pinning thus helps to reduce contact resistance. For example, Si₃N₄, AlO_(x)|SiO_(x), or LaO_(x)|SiO_(x) may be used as the dielectric tunneling material for S/D regions comprising silicon; Ge₃N₄, SiO_(x)N_(y), GeO_(x), AlO_(x), MgO and TiO₂ may be used as the dielectric tunneling material for S/D regions comprising germanium; and SiN, Al₂O₃, HfO₂, TiO₂, ZrO₂, HfO₂|TiO₂ may be used as the dielectric tunneling material for S/D regions comprising germanium-arsenide.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that other manufacturing processes may be needed following the process shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b to complete the fabrication of semiconductor device 100, such as forming inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers, forming interconnect structures comprising metal lines and vias, forming passivation layer(s), and forming external connectors.

Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations are performed to show the performance of 3D transistor 100. FIG. 12a illustrates an inversion mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel similar to the one shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b , with the dimensions of the 3D transistor annotated in FIG. 12a . Other parameters used in the simulations include a doping concentration of 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ for Boron in the channel region, a doping concentration of 1×10²⁰ cm⁻³ for phosphorus in the S/D region, and an effective oxide thickness (EOT) of 0.8 nm. FIG. 12b shows TCAD simulation results for two transfer curves illustrating the drain current (I_(D)) versus gate-source voltage (V_(G)) characteristics for the device shown in FIG. 12a . The two transfer curves correspond to a drain-source (V_(DS)) voltage of 0.8 volt and 0.05 volt, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 12b , a large on-current (I_(on)) of about 2240 μA/μm is achieve at an overdrive voltage (V_(ov)=V_(G)−V_(t)) of 0.8 volt, where V_(t) is the threshold voltage. A sub-threshold slope of 88 mV/decade is observed for the inversion mode 3D transistor.

Due to the vertically recessed channel 150 of semiconductor device 100, dimensions of the channel region (e.g., channel length L_(ch) and channel width T_(ch)) can be made small while the S/D regions 181/182 still have relatively large area. The large area of S/D regions 181/182 helps to reduce the contact resistance. As illustrated by the simulation results shown in FIG. 12b , large I_(on) current of about 2240 μA/μm is achieved without the need for raised epitaxial S/D regions formed over the S/D regions 181/182. Without the currently disclosed structures and methods, raised epitaxial S/D regions grown over the S/D regions 181/182 may be needed for reducing contact resistance. This illustrates some advantages of the present disclosure, such as simpler fabrication process (e.g., no need to grow raised epitaxial S/D region) and lower manufacturing cost. In addition, since raised epitaxial S/D regions require more space, the currently disclosed structures and methods are better for integration into integrated circuits (IC) chips with high component density.

FIGS. 13a-14b illustrate different views (e.g., perspective view, top view and cross-sectional view) of a junctionless mode 3D transistor 200 at various stages of fabrication, in accordance with some embodiments. The junctionless mode refers to the fact that the transistor 200 works as a junctionless transistor. For example, the source/drain regions and the channel region may comprise the same n-type or p-type dopant, and there is no P-N on N-P junctions between the source/drain regions and the channel region. In some embodiments, the junctionless device may be in the “ON” state when fabricated, and the gate of the transistor could be used to deplete the channel region thereby shutting off the device.

Fabrication of a junctionless mode 3D transistor 200 starts with a semiconductor fin 130 comprising a heavily doped epitaxial layer formed on a substrate such as a bulk substrate (e.g., bulk silicon), an SOI substrate, or a GeOI substrate, in some embodiments. The semiconductor fin 130 may comprise Ge, Si, a group III-V element, combinations thereof, or other suitable semiconductor materials, as examples. The epitaxial layer may comprise a N-type dopant, such as phosphorus or arsenic, or P-type dopant, such as boron or BF₂, with a doping concentration in a range from about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ to about 1×10²⁰ cm⁻³, such as 1.2×10¹⁹ cm⁻³, as examples.

Next, semiconductor fin 130 is etched to form a vertical recess, which defines a vertically recessed channel region 150 and S/D regions 181/182 at both ends of the vertically recessed channel region 150, in some embodiments. The steps for forming vertically recessed channel 150 and S/D regions 181/182 are similar to the steps discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3a-6b , thus are not repeated here for brevity.

A gate stack 175 is next formed over the vertically recessed channel region 150 of fin 130, as illustrated in FIGS. 13a-13c . FIG. 13c shows a cross-sectional view along line C-C in FIG. 13b . The gate stack 175 is formed by conformally depositing a gate dielectric layer 177 over top surface and two sidewalls of channel region 150 and depositing a metal layer 179 over the gate dielectric layer 177, in some embodiments. A liner, such as a diffusion barrier layer, an adhesion layer, or the like, may be formed between gate dielectric layer 177 and gate electrode 179 (not shown).

The materials and formation methods of the gate dielectric layer 177 and gate electrode 179 may be similar to those of gate dielectric layer 177 and gate electrode 179 of inversion mode 3D transistor 100, as described above with reference to FIGS. 10a-10c , thus not repeated here.

As illustrated in FIG. 13b , the gate stack 175 has a length L₃ that is larger than the channel length L_(ch) of the vertically recessed channel 150, although L₃ may be substantially equal to L_(ch) in other embodiments. For example, the gate stack 175 in FIG. 13b covers extension areas 183 of S/D regions 181/182. However, the channel length is only determined by L_(ch), which is determined by the etch process used to form the vertical recess 160. This illustrates another advantage of the present disclosure. In particular, the channel length L_(ch) can be easily controlled by an etching process instead of a lithography process. As the size of semiconductor device continues to shrink, the margin of error allowed for lithography process gets smaller. Being able to control the channel length L_(ch) using etching instead of lithography could mitigate the stringent requirements for the lithography process used in manufacturing.

After gate stack 175 is formed, S/D contacts 191/192 are formed over the S/D regions 181/182, as illustrated in FIGS. 14a and 14b . The materials and formation methods for S/D contacts 191/192 may be similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 11a and 11b and not repeated here for brevity.

Device 200 illustrated in FIGS. 14a and 14b shows a junctionless mode 3D transistor 200. One skilled in the art will appreciate that more fabrication steps may be needed after the process shown in FIGS. 14a and 14b to complete fabrication of transistor 200.

TCAD simulations are performed to show the performance of 3D transistor 200. FIG. 15a illustrates a junctionless mode 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel similar to the one shown in FIGS. 14a and 14b , with the dimensions of the transistor annotated in FIG. 15a . In the simulations, an N-type dopant with a concentration of 1.2×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ is used for the heavily doped epitaxial layer. FIG. 15b shows TCAD simulation results for two transfer curves illustrating the drain current (I_(D)) versus gate-source voltage (V_(G)) characteristics for the device shown in FIG. 15a . The two transfer curves correspond to a drain-source (V_(DS)) voltage of 0.8 volt and 0.05 volt, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 15b , a large on-current (I_(on)) of about 1985 μA/μm is achieve at an overdrive voltage (V_(ov)) of 1 volt. A sub-threshold slope of 89 mV/decade is observed for the junctionless mode 3D transistor.

FIGS. 16a-20b illustrate another junctionless mode 3D transistor 300 at various stages of fabrication process, in accordance with some embodiments. A semiconductor fin 130 comprising highly doped epitaxial layer is etched to form a structure 300 with a vertically recessed channel, following similar steps as described above with reference to FIGS. 3a-6b . A dummy gate structure 170 comprising dummy dielectric layer 171 and dummy gate layer 173 is formed over the channel region 150 of fin 130, as illustrated in FIGS. 16a-16c , wherein FIG. 16c is a cross-sectional view along line C-C of FIG. 16b . Details regarding the materials and formation methods of dummy gate structure 170 are similar to those discussed above with reference to FIGS. 7a-7c and not repeated here.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 17a and 17b , an ion implantation process 210 is performed to add impurities to the S/D regions 181 and 182. In accordance with some embodiments, the ion implantation process may advantageously reduce contact resistance of the S/D regions 181/182. An n-type impurity or dopant is implanted in S/D regions 181/182 for an n-type transistor (e.g., nFET). Example species for implanting n-type dopants include arsenic (As), phosphorus (P), antimony (Sb), germanium (Ge), nitrogen (N), carbon (C), the like, or a combination thereof. A concentration of an n-type dopant in S/D regions 181/182 can be in a range from about 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ to about 1×10²¹ cm⁻³. A p-type dopant can be implanted in S/D regions 181/182 for a p-type transistor (e.g., pFET). Example species for implanting p-type dopants include boron (B), BF₂, indium (In), germanium (Ge), nitrogen (N), carbon (C), the like, or a combination thereof. A concentration of a p-type dopant in S/D regions 181/182 can be in a range from about 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ to about 1×10²¹ cm⁻³. The dummy gate structure 170 shields the underlying channel region 150 so that the channel region 150 is not doped during the implantation process 210.

The dopant implanted is next activated by a thermal process 220, as illustrated in FIGS. 18a and 18b . The thermal process 220 might be an in-situ annealing process, a RTA process, or a laser annealing process, details of which are similar to those discussed above with reference to FIGS. 9a and 9 b.

Next, the dummy gate structure 170 is replaced by a replacement gate 175, and S/D contacts 191/192 are formed over S/D regions 181/182, as illustrated in FIGS. 19a-20b , respectively. Details of the replacement gate process and S/D contact formation process are similar to those discussed above with reference to FIGS. 10a -11 b.

FIGS. 21a-21d illustrate top views of a 3D transistor 400 with multiple fins (herein after multi-fin 3D transistor) in various stages of fabrication process, in accordance with some embodiments. Illustrated in FIG. 21a is a mesa 410 defined over a substrate (not shown). Mesa 410 may comprise a bulk substrate (e.g., bulk silicon), a SOI substrate, or a GeOI substrate, as examples. Mesa 410 may be surrounded by isolation region (not shown) comprising dielectric material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, fluoride-doped silicate glass (FSG), or a low-K dielectric material formed using suitable deposition methods such as PVD, CVD, HDP CVD, as examples. Although not shown in FIG. 25a , mesa 410 rises above the underlying substrate and the surrounding isolation region and has a height H above the top surface of surrounding isolation region, in some embodiments. For example, semiconductor fin 130 illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b is a mesa.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 21b , mesa 410 is patterned to form a plurality of vertical openings 420 (e.g., 420 a and 420 b) using, e.g., lithography and etch process. The vertical openings 420 may have a substantially same rectangular shape in a top view and are spaced apart at substantially equal distance, as illustrated in FIG. 21b . For example, each of the vertical openings 420 has a straight column shape with rectangular cross-section (e.g., cuboid) extending from a top surface of mesa 410 into the mesa. The depth of vertical openings 420 may be substantially equal to the height H of mesa 410, in some embodiments, although the depth of vertical openings 420 may also be different from the height H of mesa 410. As illustrated in FIG. 21b , each vertical opening 420 a exposes four inner sidewalls 440 of mesa 410, while one vertical opening 420 b has a right edge overlapping a right edge of mesa 410, thus exposing three inner sidewalls 440 of mesa 410 instead of four.

Next, a photo resist (PR) or hard mask layer 430 is formed over mesa 410 and patterned, as illustrated in FIG. 21c . A CMP process might be performed to planarize the PR or hard mask layer 430 before the patterning process. The patterning is performed using acceptable lithography and etching process, for example. In accordance with an embodiment, the PR or hard mask layer 430 is patterned by electron-beam lithography using He ion beam or Ne ion beam. After the patterning processing, PR or hard mask layer 430 covers external sidewalls 441 and top surface of mesa 410, and partially fills vertical openings 420, leaving only portions 420 a′/420 b′ of vertical openings 420 a/420 b not covered by PR or hard mask layer 430. As illustrated in FIG. 21c , vertical openings 420 a′/420 b′ have a straight column shape with rectangular cross-section (e.g., cuboid) and expose a middle portion of inner sidewalls 440 of mesa 410, which inner sidewalls 440 were previously exposed by vertical openings 420. Although the vertical opening 420 b′ shown in FIG. 21c is larger than other vertical openings 420 a′, the area of the exposed inner sidewall 440 in opening 420 b′ may remain substantially the same as the area of exposed inner sidewall 440 in other openings 420 a′.

Next, an etch process similar to the one described above with reference to FIGS. 5a and 5b is performed to form a plurality of vertical recesses 460, and the PR or hard mask layer 430 is removed, as illustrated in FIG. 21d . Each vertical recess 460 is substantially trapezoidal, U-shaped or V-shaped in the top view of FIG. 21d , with the narrow ends of vertical recesses 460 defining a plurality of vertically recessed channel regions 450. The structure 400 shown in FIG. 21d may be used to form inversion mode or juntionless mode multi-fin 3D transistors, following processing steps similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 3a-11b , FIGS. 13a-14b , and FIGS. 16a-20b , in some embodiments. The source regions or drain regions of the multi-fin device 400 formed using the method illustrated in FIGS. 21a-21d are continuous and naturally merge together, thus there is no need for additional processing steps to connect the sources regions or the drain regions together by, e.g., metal lines/vias or by growing epitaxial material over the S/D regions until the epitaxial material merge together. This illustrates another advantage of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, S/D stressors can be added to advantageously improve the carrier mobility in the channel region, as illustrated in FIGS. 22a and 22b for a single fin 3D transistor 500. As illustrated in FIGS. 22a and 22b , top portions of S/D regions 581/582 of device 500 are etched away, and an epitaxial growth process is performed to grow epitaxial material on the remaining portions of S/D regions 581/582. The epitaxially grown S/D regions are denoted by 581′/582′ in FIG. 22b . The carrier mobility of channel region 550 may be advantageously improved by the stress provided by the epitaxial S/D regions 581′/582′, in some embodiments.

In another embodiment, S/D stressors may be added for a multi-fin 3D transistor 600, as illustrated in the top views of FIGS. 23a and 23b . In some embodiments, the top portions of S/D regions 681/682 are etched away and replaced by an epitaxial material 681′/682′. The epitaxial S/D regions 681′/682′ may advantageously increase the carrier mobility in channel regions 650, in accordance with some embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 23b , the epitaxial S/D regions 681′/682′ are separate from each other, this might be achieved by first separating the continuous S/D regions 681/682 in FIG. 23a into multiple disconnected source regions and drain regions, before the etch and epitaxial growth process.

In some other embodiments, the separate epitaxial S/D regions 681′/682′ formed in FIG. 23b may be connected together by growing the epitaxial material further until the epitaxial material of all source regions and all drain regions merge together and form a continuous source region and a continuous drain region, respectively (not shown).

In yet another embodiment, the merged S/D regions 681/682 in FIG. 23a are not separated before the etch process and epitaxial growth process. Instead, only some isolated areas in top portions of S/D region 681/682 (e.g., areas corresponding to locations of epitaxial regions 681′/682′ in FIG. 23b ) are etched away, while the remaining top portions of S/D regions 681 and 682 (e.g., top portions not etched away) still connect all source regions 681 together and all drain regions 682 together, respectively (not shown in FIGS. 23a and 23b ). An epitaxial growth process is then performed to grow epitaxial material in the isolated areas that are etched away, with non-epitaxial S/D regions next to the epitaxial material. The epitaxial material provides stress to advantageously increase the carrier mobility in the channel, in some embodiments.

Due to the particular structures of the currently disclosed device (e.g., the vertically recessed channel region, and the S/D regions with a larger top surface area than the channel region), the regrown epitaxial S/D regions (e.g., epitaxial S/D regions 581′/582′, 681′/682′) may exhibit an asymmetry about the current direction, where the current direction is defined earlier with reference to FIG. 7b (e.g., along line I-I). For example, in a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image showing regrown epitaxial S/D region in a plane perpendicular to the current direction, the left-hand side and right-hand side of the regrown epitaxial S/D region are not symmetric.

FIG. 24 shows the top view of a mesa 710 with two vertical recesses 761 and 762 formed substantially symmetrically, with a shared vertically recessed channel region 750 between the bottoms of recesses 761 and 762. The vertically recessed channel 750 may be formed by etching from sidewalls 741 and 742 on both sides of the channel 750, following processing steps similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 3a-6b , for example. The device 700 comprising mesa 710 may be fabricated into an inversion mode or junctionless mode 3D transistor following the processing steps described above with reference to FIGS. 3a-11b , FIGS. 13a-14b , and FIGS. 16a-20b , in some embodiments.

FIG. 25 illustrates a flow chart of a method for forming a 3D transistor with a vertically recessed channel, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. The flowchart shown in FIG. 25 is merely an example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications. For example, various steps as illustrated in FIG. 25 may be added, removed, replaced, rearranged and repeated.

Referring to FIG. 25, at step 1010, a mesa is formed over a substrate. The mesa might be surrounded by isolation regions. At step 1020, a mask layer is formed over a top surface and sidewalls of the mesa. The mask layer exposes a middle portion of a sidewall of the mesa. At step 1030, etching is performed to form a vertical recess extending from the exposed middle portion of the sidewall into the mesa, wherein the vertical recess is substantially trapezoidal, V-shaped or U-shaped in a top view. The vertical recess defines a vertically recessed channel region at a narrow end of the vertical recess as well as S/D regions at both ends of the vertically recessed channel region.

Embodiments of the device and methods in the current disclosure have many advantages. For example, the 3D transistor with vertically recessed channel can be fabricated on a variety of different substrates such as a bulk substrate (e.g., bulk silicon), a GeOI substrate, and a SOI substrate. The vertically recessed channel enables better gate control from three sides of the channel region (e.g., top surface and two sidewalls), thus enabling a wider selection of substrates beyond GeOI or SOI substrates. As shown by TCAD simulations, large I_(on) current can be achieved without the need to re-grow raised epitaxial S/D regions for the purpose of lowering contact resistance. Since re-grown raised epitaxial S/D regions take up more space, the current disclosed structures and methods not only save manufacturing cost, but also enable higher level of integration more easily. The channel length L_(ch) of the vertically recessed channel is controlled by an etch process instead of lithography, thus small channel length (e.g. L_(ch) of 10 nm) can be obtained without stringent requirements for lithography.

In some embodiments, a device comprises a first semiconductor fin extending over a substrate. The first semiconductor fin has a vertical recess extending from a first sidewall of the first semiconductor fin toward a second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin opposite the first sidewall. A distance between two opposing sidewalls of the vertical recess decreases as the vertical recess extends toward the second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin. The device further comprise a vertically recessed channel region between the second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin and a bottom of the vertical recess, source/drain (S/D) regions at opposite ends of the vertically recessed channel region, and a gate stack over the vertically recessed channel region.

In other embodiments, a structure comprises a mesa with a top surface extending away from a substrate, wherein the mesa has a first vertical opening that is substantially trapezoidal, V-shaped or U-shaped from a top view, with the first vertical opening extending from a first sidewall of the mesa to a second sidewall of the mesa opposite the first sidewall. A distance between two opposing sidewalls of the first vertical opening decreases along a first direction, with the first direction being perpendicular to the first sidewall and pointing from the first sidewall to the second sidewall. The structure also includes a first vertically recessed channel region at a narrow end of the vertical opening, a first source/drain (S/D) regions at opposite ends of the first vertically recessed channel region along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and a gate stack over the vertically recessed channel region.

In yet another embodiment, a method of forming a device comprises forming a mesa over a substrate and forming a mask layer over a top surface and sidewalls of the mesa, the mask layer exposing a middle portion of a sidewall of the mesa. The method further comprises etching to form a vertical recess extending from the exposed middle portion of the sidewall into the mesa, wherein the vertical recess is substantially trapezoidal, V-shaped or U-shaped in a top view, and wherein the vertical recess defines a vertically recessed channel region at a narrow end of the vertical recess as well as S/D regions at both ends of the vertically recessed channel region.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a first semiconductor fin extending over a substrate, wherein the first semiconductor fin has a vertical recess extending from a first sidewall of the first semiconductor fin toward a second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin opposite the first sidewall, wherein a distance between two opposing sidewalls of the vertical recess decreases as the vertical recess extends toward the second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin; a vertically recessed channel region between the second sidewall of the first semiconductor fin and a bottom of the vertical recess, wherein the bottom is a third sidewall of the vertical recess opposite the first sidewall of the first semiconductor fin; a source region at a first end of the vertically recessed channel region; a drain region at a second end of the vertically recessed channel region; and a gate stack over the vertically recessed channel region, wherein a length of the gate stack measured along a first direction from the source region to the drain region is the same as or larger than a length of the bottom of the vertical recess measured along the first direction.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the source region and the drain region each has a top surface larger than a top surface of the vertically recessed channel region.
 3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first contact over the source region and a second contact over the drain region, wherein the first contact and the second contact each comprises at least one conductive layer over a silicide, a germanide, or a dielectric tunneling material.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the source region and the drain region comprise a same n-type or p-type impurity as the vertically recessed channel region.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the vertical recess is substantially trapezoidal, V-shaped or U-shaped in a top view.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a bulk semiconductor substrate, a germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) substrate or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the vertically recessed channel region comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Ge, Si, group III-V elements, and combinations thereof.
 8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second semiconductor fin, wherein the second semiconductor fin and the first semiconductor fin are formed on a same mesa.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the source region of the first semiconductor fin merges with the source region of the second semiconductor fin, and wherein the drain region of the first semiconductor fin merges with the drain region of the second semiconductor fin.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein top portions of the source region and the drain region comprise an epitaxial material.
 11. A structure, the structure comprising: a mesa with a top surface extending away from a substrate, wherein the mesa has a first vertical opening that is substantially trapezoidal, V-shaped or U-shaped from a top view, with the first vertical opening extending from a first sidewall of the mesa to a second sidewall of the mesa opposite the first sidewall, and wherein a distance between two opposing sidewalls of the first vertical opening decreases along a first direction from the first sidewall of the mesa to the second sidewall of the mesa; a first vertically recessed channel region at a narrow end of the first vertical opening; a first source/drain (S/D) region comprising a source region and a drain region at a first end and a second end of the first vertically recessed channel region, respectively; and a gate stack over the first vertically recessed channel region; wherein the source region has a first part and a second part, wherein the first part contacts the first vertically recessed channel region and is disposed between the second part and the first vertically recessed channel region, wherein a first width of the first part measured along the first direction increases continuously as the first part extends away from the first vertically recessed channel region.
 12. The structure of claim 11, wherein the first vertically recessed channel region is doped with a same type of impurity as the first S/D region.
 13. The structure of claim 11, wherein the first vertically recessed channel region is doped with a different type of impurity than the first S/D region.
 14. The structure of claim 11, wherein top portions of the first S/D region comprise an epitaxial material.
 15. The structure of claim 11, wherein the mesa further includes: a second vertical opening; a second vertically recessed channel region; and a second S/D region; wherein the source (or drain) region of the first S/D region merges with the source (or drain) region of the second S/D region.
 16. The structure of claim 11, wherein the gate stack contacts a top surface and two sidewalls of the first vertically recessed channel region.
 17. A device comprising: a substrate having a mesa; a first opening in the mesa, the first opening being encircled by a first plurality of sidewalls of the mesa exposed by the first opening, the first opening extending from an upper surface of the mesa distal the substrate toward the substrate, the first opening having a wide end and a narrow end opposing the wide end of the first opening in a top view; a first channel region in the mesa at the narrow end of the first opening; a first source region and a first drain region on opposing sides of the first channel region; a second opening in the mesa, the second opening being encircled by a second plurality of sidewalls of the mesa exposed by the second opening, the second opening extending from the upper surface of the mesa toward the substrate, the second opening having a wide end and a narrow end opposing the wide end of the second opening in the top view; a second channel region in the mesa at the narrow end of the second opening; and a second source region and a second drain region on opposing sides of the second channel region.
 18. The device of claim 17, wherein the first channel region, the second channel region, the first source region, the second source region, the first drain region, and the second drain region are doped with a same type of dopant and have a same dopant concentration.
 19. The device of claim 17, wherein the first source region comprise a first epitaxial region, the second source region comprises a second epitaxial region, wherein the mesa extends continuously from the first epitaxial region to the second epitaxial region.
 20. The device of claim 17, wherein the first opening and the second opening are substantially symmetric in the top view, wherein the first channel region and the second channel region are a same channel region. 